Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate distribution, enrichment and accumulation of heavy metals in soil and Trigonella foenum-graecum (var. Pusa Early Bunching) after fertigation with paper mill effluent. Doses of paper mill effluent viz. 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% were used for fertigation of T. foenum-graecum along with bore well water (control). The results revealed that paper mill effluent had significant (P 0.05) changes in WHC and bulk density of the soil were observed after irrigation with paper mill effluent. The agronomical performance of T. foenum-graecum was increased from 5% to 25% concentration and decreased from 50% to 100% concentration of paper mill effluent as compared to control in both seasons. The heavy metals concentration was increased in T. foenum-graecum from 5% to 100% concentrations of paper mill effluent in both seasons. Biochemical components like crude proteins, crude fiber and crude carbohydrates were found maximum with 25% paper mill effluent in both seasons. The enrichment factor (Ef) of various heavy metals was in order of Cd > Mn > Cr > Cu > Zn > Fe for soil and Mn > Cu > Cr > Cd > Zn > Fe for T. foenum-graecum plants after fertigation with paper mill effluent. Therefore, paper mill effluent can be used as a biofertigant after appropriate dilution to improve yield of T. foenum-graecum.
Highlights
Industrial or domestic effluent is mostly used for the fertigation of agricultural crops, mainly in urban and periurban regions, due to its easy availability, disposal problems and scarcity of fresh water [1,2]
The results revealed that paper mill effluent had significant (P < 0.05) effect on electrical conductivity (EC), pH, OC, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), PO34, SO24, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn of the soil in both seasons
The enrichment factor (Ef) of various heavy metals was in order of Cd > Mn > Cr > Cu > Zn > Fe for soil and Mn > Cu > Cr > Cd > Zn > Fe for T. foenum-graecum plants after fertigation with paper mill effluent
Summary
Industrial or domestic effluent is mostly used for the fertigation of agricultural crops, mainly in urban and periurban regions, due to its easy availability, disposal problems and scarcity of fresh water [1,2]. Irrigation with effluents is known to contribute significantly to the heavy metals content of soil as well as crop plants [3,4,5]. Heavy metals are very harmful because of their non-biodegradable nature, long biological half-lives and their potential to accumulate in different body parts [6,7,8]. Most of the heavy metals are extremely toxic because of their solubility in water [3,9,10]. Wastewater contains substantial amounts of toxic heavy metals, which create problems [6,11,12,13]. Excessive accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils through wastewater irrigation, may result in soil contamination, and affect food quality and safety [8,14,15,16]
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